Since machining hard, abrasion, erosion and/or wear-resistant materials is generally both difficult and expensive, it is common practice to first form a metal part with a desired configuration and subsequently treat the metal part to provide desired abrasion, erosion and/or wear resistance. One example includes directly hardening desired surfaces of the metal part, such as by carburizing or nitriding such surfaces. Another example is applying a layer of hard, abrasion, erosion and/or wear-resistant material to desired surfaces of the metal part. This manufacturing process is commonly called hardfacing, which is generally defined as applying a layer or layers of hard, abrasion-resistant material to a less-resistant surface or substrate by plating, welding, spraying or other deposition techniques. The resulting material layer(s) of hard, abrasion, erosion and/or wear-resistant material is also commonly referred to as “hardfacing.”
Hardfacing is frequently used to extend the service life of drill bits and other downhole tools used in the oil and gas industry. For instance, hardfacing drill bits helps mitigate abrasion and erosion to surfaces of the drill bit as the drill bit penetrates various subterranean formations during operation. Since hardfacing is typically applied by human operators or welders, the resulting hardfacing material is subject to error and is sometimes applied unevenly or over applied. Over-applied hardfacing on surfaces of a drill bit can result in blade rubbing, which can slow down or impede the rotational motion of the drill bit during drilling.